It’s not often that you see a trio of shirtless Scotsmen causing havoc in a quaint corner of Cornwall.
In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that on most days, this would be something of a cause for concern. After all, it’s a county that’s more known for rolling hills and grassy plains than rowdy behaviour and rock ‘n’ roll antics – so, it’s not entirely a stretch to claim that the sight of these three bearded blokes running around a small space in St. Austell might, perhaps, raise some eyebrows.
But this, dear reader, isn’t your average day in South-West England.
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Nestled amongst the rare plants and cultivated biodiversity of Cornwall’s Eden Project, the Eden Sessions’ stage has been hosting household names for close to two decades – and tonight, it’s the turn of Biffy Clyro.
The Scottish rockers have long had a reputation of being amongst the country’s most incendiary live acts – and if you ask us, it’s richly deserved. It helps that they have an almost supernatural ability to write the kind of choruses that seem tailor-made to be bellowed back at them from the rafters of your nearest arena. And then, when you combine this with an innate sense of showmanship, you get what we see tonight on the stage of the Eden Project; a band at the peak of their powers, armed with a catalogue of carefully crafted rock anthems, and received with a reception worthy of any of the bona fide rock gods that this hard-hitting trio herald as inspirations.
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As collections of modern rock classics go, you’d be hard pressed to find a set better than the one Simon Neil, Ben Johnston, and brother James Johnston wheel out tonight.
Mountains, Biblical, Rearrange, and The Captain are thrown out with typical rage, while new single A Little Love sits comfortably amongst the canon, arriving in a blast of frenzied guitars, pounding drums, and a chorus that’s destined to reverberate around your head for a solid few hours after your first listen.
It’s also worth noting that there’s more to these boys than sheer bombast; amidst the distortion, there are some tender acoustic moments, with the highlight of these arriving at the midway point as frontman Simon Neil seemingly pours every ounce of his soul into a genuinely heartfelt rendition of fan favourite, Space.
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An honourable mention must go, of course, to the venue itself.
Despite its day job as a horticulturist’s dream, the Eden Project has also developed a (well-earned) reputation as one of the foremost – and undoubtedly most scenic – concert venues in this fair land.
But then, before it feels like anyone has more than a moment to dwell on this, it’s all over. A closing one-two of Bubbles and Many Of Horror, a parting wave to the crowd, and the launching of the night’s drumsticks into the audience by sticksman Ben Johnston, and the band disappear into the biomes as the last edges of darkness take over the throes of the Cornish hills.
And therein, reader, lies the reader why there’s not much to dislike about tonight’s performance. After all, it’s hard to go too far wrong with a world-class rock band at the top of their game, performing in the midst of a venue that’s as grand and gorgeous as any you’re likely to see. Call us old-fashioned, but we can’t think of anything better than that.
